Medical suction nozzle holster

ABSTRACT

A holster apparatus for a medical suction tube is provided with a cooperating array of individual sterile sacs. Preferably, the cooperating array of individual sacs is a roll of such sacs having a line of perforation between each sac, or a nested array of such sterile sacs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is generally concerned with holster apparatus for nozzlecomponents of medical/dental suction devices. It is particularlyconcerned with maintaining sterile conditions and ready access to suchdevices during medical/dental operations.

2. Discussion of the Background

A representative prior art medical suction nozzle holster is disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,679 (“the '679 patent”). It teaches a medicalsuction nozzle holster that is designed to hold a sterile bubble wrap inwhich a suction nozzle was originally shipped. Thus, the sterile bubblewrap also is used to maintain sterile conditions during an operation.After the operation, the bubble wrap (now holding bodily fluids) is thenremoved from the holster and sent to a sanitary disposal point.

Such uses of the bubble wrap in which a suction nozzle was originallyshipped have not, however, met with wide acceptance. This may follow, atleast in part, from the fact that the packaging requirements for suchnozzles are somewhat at odds with the use requirements of such nozzles.For example, nozzle manufacturers often prefer to package their nozzlesin plastic packaging materials that are relatively hard so that theywill resist accidental penetration of the shipping package walls—andhence loss of their sterile conditions. Such shipping packages must alsobe capable of being easily broken open, by hand. These requirements aresuch that a broken open, relatively hard plastic package is notparticularly well suited to (1) being easily loaded into a nozzleholster, (2) maintaining a relatively soft compression type grip on asuction tube placed in a relatively hard (and hence inflexible) wrapperand (3) being readily tightly resealed for sanitary disposal purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention addresses these problems by providing a medical suctionnozzle holster apparatus with a cooperating array of individual sterilesacs. These sacs have walls that are made of relatively soft plasticsheet materials (relative to the harder, more rigid plastic shellmaterials in which such nozzles are often packaged). Applicant'scooperating array of individual sterile sacs may, for example, take theform of a cooperating array of individual sterile sacs that are softenough to be wound in a continuous or semi-continuous roll. A continuousroll can be constructed such that a perforated line is created betweeneach successive sac on such a continuous roll so that successive sacscan be readily removed from the roll after each sac is used. Asemi-continuous roll can be created by having a trailing portion of afirst sac folded into a folded portion of a leading portion of a secondsac—and so on, to create a roll of such interfolded sacs. By way ofanother example of a cooperating array of individual sterile sacs, aseries of individual sterile sacs can be nested (one inside another, toform a nested array of said sacs) in a manner such that a “used” sac(i.e., one in which a used nozzle has been holstered) can be removedfrom the nested array for disposal and thereby exposing the next sterilesac in the nested array for use with respect to a next, as yet unused,nozzle.

The holster apparatus of this patent disclosure are also preferablyprovided with suitable devices for holding their cooperating array ofindividual sterile sacs in the holster during an operation, but thenallowing successive sacs to be separated from the next sac in thatarray. By way of example only, a leading edge region of each sterile sacin a roll of such sacs may be provided with one or more holes. Theseholes are adapted and arranged to receive certain hereinafter more fullydescribed knob-like or hook-like devices located on the outside wall ofapplicant's holster, near their top opening. Other sterile sac holdingdevices such as biased clamps (e.g., spring loaded clamps) may be usedfor this sac-holding function. Still other sterile sac holding deviceswill be provided with means for sealing the sac in order to dispose ofits contents in a sanitary manner. Sac closing devices such as so-calledZiploc® and Velcro® strips, may be employed for this purpose as well.

Such holster apparatus also are preferably provided with a device forrotating the holster with respect to its mounting device—and, hence,with respect to the stable object to which the mounting device isattached. Such a mounting device will normally be a clamping device thatattaches to a bar of an operating table or the like. Applicant'srotatability feature allows operating room personnel to position thenozzle handle according to individual preferences. Preferably, thesedevices for rotating the holster may be positioned and repositioned byhand (i.e., without the aid of hand tools).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an operating room wherein a suction nozzle holster ofthis patent disclosure is being employed.

FIG. 2 illustrates the mechanical details of a representative medicalsuction nozzle to be held by applicant's nozzle holster.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of this invention wherein a nozzle holsteris provided with a cooperating array of sterile sacs wound in acontinuous roll.

FIG. 4 depicts a continuous roll of sterile sacs being unwound.

FIG. 5 depicts a sterile sac being separated from a subsequent sterilesac in a roll of such sacs.

FIG. 6 is a cross section view of an embodiment of this inventionshowing a holster apparatus provided with (1) inwardly bias holstersidewalls, and (2) a representative clamp device for attaching theholster apparatus to an operating table side bar.

FIG. 7 is a cross section view of another embodiment of this inventionwherein a nozzle holster is provided with a nested array of sacs and analligator jaw-like clamping device for holding the holster in place.

FIG. 8 depicts an embodiment of this invention having a rotatableC-clamp device for positioning said holster at a desired hand accessangle.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of a holster apparatus of this patent disclosurerotated over an angle alpha (a) in order to depict more convenient handaccess according to individual preferences of operating room personnel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts an operating room 10 wherein a patient 12 lies on anoperating table 14 having various bar-like structural members such ashorizontal and vertical bars. Applicant's holster apparatus 18 is shownattached to one such bar-like structural member 16 of said operatingtable 14. This apparatus 18 is shown holstering a medical suction nozzle20. FIG. 1 also is intended to suggest that the holster 18 can berotated in order to orient a handle portion of such a nozzle 20 tocomport with the desires of individual operating room personnel such asanesthesiologists. These medical suction nozzles 20 are generally usedto remove bodily fluids such as secretions, blood and/or stomachcontents from a patient's throat and/or mouth so that the patient doesnot aspirate such fluids into his/her lungs. To this end, vacuumconditions are placed upon an inside bore of medical suction nozzles ofthis type. The nozzle's rearward end is shown connected to a hose 22that leads to a fluid collection canister 24. Thus, during the course ofan operation, a patient's secretions, blood and/or stomach contents canbe removed from the patient's throat and/or mouth and directed to thefluid collection canister 24 for subsequent sanitary disposal.

FIG. 2 depicts a medical suction nozzle 20 of the type generallycontemplated for the practice of the present invention. It is depictedas having five portions A, B, C, D and E (also designated by lengths A,B, C, D and E) as well as several other distinctive physical features.For example, the medical suction nozzle 20 shown in FIG. 2 has anopening 26 located at the front of its forward end portion A. Thisopening 26 leads into a bore hole 28 that extends not only throughforward end portion A, but through the entire length of said nozzle 20.Vacuum conditions are placed in this bore hole 28 in order to removeundesired fluids from a patient's mouth and/or throat and then send suchfluids to a fluid collection canister such as that depicted as item 24in FIG. 1. The length of the forward end portion A of suction nozzle 20will preferably be from about 1.5 to about 2.5 inches (with a length ofabout 2 inches being especially preferred). The outside diameter of thisforward end portion A is generally depicted as item 20A in FIG. 1. Itwill generally range from about 0.25 to about 0.50 inches.

The forward end portion A of the nozzle leads to portion B of saidnozzle 20. FIG. 2 also depicts how the bore hole 28 extends from portionA and on through the center of portion B in a continuous manner. In somecommercially available medical suction nozzles, such a portion B willhave a length of from about 1.5 to about 2.5 inches (here again with apreferred length of about 2.0 inches). The outside diameter of portion Bis depicted by item 20B. This outside diameter 20B is preferably greaterthan the outside diameter 20A of the forward end portion A. Thus, theoutside diameter of nozzle 20 tapers down as it leads from portion B tothe forward end portion A. FIG. 2 also depicts portion B as beingoriented at an angle theta one (Θ₁) with respect to the forward endportion A. This angle theta one (Θ₁) is preferably from about 10 degreesto about 30 degrees. Thus, the front portions of nozzle 20 curve as theylead from portion B to the forward end portion A. The presence of thisangle theta one (Θ₁) facilitates insertion of the front portion A ofsaid nozzle 20 into a patient's mouth and throat.

Portion B, in turn, leads to a portion C of the nozzle 20. Preferably,portion C has a length of about 1.5 to about 2.5 inches (here again,with a length of about 2.0 inches being preferred) and an outsidediameter 20C that is preferably greater than the outside diameter 20B ofportion B. Portion C also is depicted as being at an angle theta two(θ₂) with respect to portion B. Preferably, this angle theta two (θ₂) isalso from about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees. The presence of thisangle theta two (θ₂) especially facilitates insertion of the front endportion A of such a nozzle into a patient's throat. Thus the two angles,theta one (θ₁) and theta two (θ₂), create an overall angle of curvaturetheta three (θ₃) for the overall suction nozzle 20. Preferably, thisoverall angle of curvature theta three (θ₃) will be from about 20degrees to about 60 degrees. Thus, the lengths, outside diameters andrespective angles of curvature of portions A, B and C are each such thatthey facilitate insertion of these portions of the nozzle into the mouthand/or throat of a human being. These lengths and curvatures also serveto generally define the more preferred sizes and configurations ofapplicant's holster for nozzles of this kind.

FIG. 2 depicts portion C of the nozzle 20 leading to portion D. PortionD preferably has an outside diameter 20D that is greater than theoutside diameter 20C of portion C. Portion D is however specificallyadapted to serve as a “handle” portion of the nozzle 20. To this end,the length of portion D will be of sufficient length to be gripped bythe hand of a human being. Such a handle may for example have a lengthof from about 2 to about 5 inches (with a length of about 3 inches beingsomewhat preferred). In keeping with its function as a handle, theoutside surface of portion D may be further provided with hand/fingergrip aiding devices such as the ridges 30A and 30B depicted in FIG. 2.The outside surface of the leading part of portion D also may beprovided with indented region(s) 32A and 32B to receive a finger tip(and especially an index finger tip) and/or thumb of a human holder formore precise hand control of such a nozzle.

The left end of the nozzle 20 shown in FIG. 2 is designated as portionE. It will normally have a length of about 1 to about 2.5 inches. Thisportion E generally serves as a connector device for a hose, andespecially a flexible plastic or rubber hose that leads from the rearend of the bore 28 in the nozzle 20 to a fluid collection canister suchas that depicted as item 24 in FIG. 1. To this end, the outside surfaceof portion E is shown provided with a series of ridges 34 that serve togrip the inside bore of a suitably sized, flexible hose. Such a hosealso may be connected to a vacuum source (not shown). Such a vacuumsource may, for example, be supplied by a component of the canister 24.Thus, bodily fluids can be collected at the opening 26 of the nozzle 20,conveyed through its bore 28, further conveyed through an attached hose22 and delivered to a fluid collection canister 24 for subsequentsanitary disposal.

FIG. 3 depicts a medical suction nozzle 20 temporarily residing in anozzle holster 36 that illustrates a preferred embodiment of thisinvention. In this preferred embodiment, the nozzle holster 36 is shownmounted to a base plate 38 (e.g., mounted by holster bands 39A and 39B).This holster 36 is shown provided with a top opening 40 (that preferablyhas at least a three inch diameter and most preferably an ellipticalconfiguration) and a bottom opening 42 (that preferably has at least aone inch diameter, and a round configuration). The nozzle 20 is showninserted into the top opening 40 of the holster 36 to an extent suchthat portions A, B and C thereof generally reside in the body of holster36 while portions D and E generally remain outside of said holster(i.e., beyond the top opening 40). For the purposes of this patentdisclosure, the nozzle 20 can be regarded as “residing” or “holstered”in the holster 36 when at least a forward portion, e.g., portions A andB (but preferably portions A, B and C) are located inside of theholster's top opening 40. For the purposes of this patent disclosure, aholster's ability to receive at least portions A and B of such a nozzle,may be regarded as its ability to hold a “substantial part” of such anozzle. Such a holster 36 also preferably has a curved configuration togenerally accommodate the curved configuration of a suction nozzle suchas that shown in FIG. 2 (e.g., a holster having a counterpart angle θ₃of from about 20 to about 60 degrees) . The curvature of holster 36 ispreferably such that the front end 43 of the front portion A of thenozzle 20 begins to encounter resistance provided by the inside surfacesof the lower regions of said holster 36 (actually, the inside surfacesof a sterile sac 44 residing in such a holster 36) as the front end ofhandle portion D approaches the holster's top opening 40 and therebybringing the handle portion D to—and holding said handle portion D in—apreferred position such that said handle portion D can be convenientlygrasped by a human hand (e.g., that of an anesthesiologist). The abilityof the holster 36 to put pressure upon (and therefore hold) the suctiontube 20 can be increased by various means (e.g., by inwardly biasing theholster sidewalls in one or more ways). To exemplify this holdingability, the holster 36 shown in FIG. 3 is shown with one or moreinwardly biased tension springs 45A, 45B . . . 45N that generallyencompass the lower parts of the walls of such a holster 36.

A sterile sac 44 is shown residing in the holster 36 depicted in FIG. 3.This sterile sac 44 is shown attached to another comparable sterile sac46 which leads to yet another such sterile sac etc. in a cooperatingarray of such sacs generally having the character of a wound roll 48 ofsuch sterile sacs. In one embodiment of this invention, a first sac(e.g., sac 44) has a perforated line 49 indented into its plasticmaterial in a region that lies between the trailing edge of sterile sac44 and the leading edge of the next sterile sac 46. This perforated line49 allows sterile sac 44 to be torn from sterile sac 46—and hence fromthe roll 48 of such sacs at appropriate times. The sterile sac roll 48is shown mounted on a sterile sac roll axle 50 which, in turn, ismounted to a lower portion 38A of the base plate 38 to which the holster36 also is attached. In FIG. 3, the top or leading part 44A of thesterile sac 44 is shown draped over the top edge 45 of the top opening40 in the holster 36. This top or leading part 44A of the sterile sac 44may be further held in place by a suitable holding device such as one ormore knobs, clamps or hooks. By way of example only, some representativesac-holding knobs are shown as items 88C(1) and 88C(2) in FIG. 7.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a roll 48 of sterile sacs such as thatdepicted in FIG. 3. This roll 48 also is shown mounted on a central axle50. A perforated line 49 is depicted in the sac material between sterilesac 44 and sterile sac 46. This perforated line 49 is comparable to theline of perforation that separates those plastic sacs used as liners ina household trash barrel from an adjoining plastic sac in a roll of suchtrash barrel liner sacs. Semi-continuous arrays of such sacs can also bemade by interfolding the leading/trailing portions of a series of suchsacs and winding the resulting semi-continuous array into a rolled upconfiguration. Applicant's sterile sacs are also analogous to householdtrash barrel liner sacs in that they are preferably made of relativelysoft (relative to certain hard plastic packages in which such nozzlesare sometimes packaged) plastic sheet materials (e.g., those made ofsheets of Mylar®, Cellophane® and similar cellulosic plastic materials).Preferably, the sac walls of applicant's sterile sacs will havethicknesses comparable to those of trash barrel sacs (e.g., thicknessesranging from about 1 ml to about 4 mls). Smaller, but similar sacs arealso widely used to store food in refrigerators. It also might be notedhere that such refrigerator storage sacs are often provided with sac topopening sealing/unsealing devices such as so-called Ziploc® devices.Such sac sealing/unsealing devices may be used in the practice of thisinvention as well. By way of example, such a sealing/unsealing Ziploc®type device is depicted by items 44E in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 5 depicts a first sterile sac 44 being separated from a secondsterile sac 46 by a tearing action applied along a line of perforation49 placed in the sheet-like material from which the successive sterilesacs 44, 46, etc. are made. The first sterile sac 44 is shown holding aquantity of bodily fluids 51 to be disposed of in a sanitary manner(e.g., by subsequent burning of the sac and its contents). This sterilesac 44 also is shown provided with a sealing device 44E such as aZiploc® device. FIG. 5 also suggests another preferred embodiment ofthis invention wherein the sterile sac 44 is of such a size that it canalso be used to dispose of a used suction tube 20 (and, optionally, thesuction hose 22 that was attached to said suction hose 20).

FIG. 6 is a cross section view of another representative suction tubeholster 36B shown with a representative sterile sac 44B containedtherein. This sterile sac 44B has been unwound from a roll 48B of suchsterile sacs and “threaded through” a bottom opening 42B in the holster36B. The roll 48B is shown mounted on a lower portion of a holster baseplate 52B by means of a roll axle 50B having a keeper 54B that preventsthe roll 48B from coming off of said axle 50B during use. The holsterbase plate 52B shown in FIG. 6 is mounted to the holster base plate 52Bby means of a channel 56B which is provided with channel bolts 58B(1)and 58B(2). The sterile sac 44B is shown lining the inside walls of theholster 36B and passing up through a top opening in said holster 36B.The bottom of the sterile sac 44B is shown provided with a line ofperforation 49B located between the sterile sac 44B in the holster 36Band a next sterile sac 46B that is shown just beginning to be unwoundfrom the roll 48B of sterile sacs. A top or leading edge portion 60B ofthe sterile sac 44B in the holster 36B depicted in FIG. 6 is showndraped over the top edge 62(B) of the top opening 64B of the holster36B. This leading edge portion 60B of such a sac also may be providedwith holes adapted and arranged to receive knobs or hooks (such as thosedepicted as items 88C(1) and 88C(2) in FIG. 7) to hold the sterile sac44B in place during use of the particular sac then residing in theholster 36B. This leading edge portion 60B is also preferably providedwith a sac-sealing device such as that depicted as item 44E in FIGS. 4and 5.

FIG. 6 also depicts the holster 36B provided with a spring-like device66B having coils 66B(1), 66B(2) ... 66B(N) in an inside region of aholster having an outside wall 65B(1) and an inside wall 65B(2). Thisspring-like device 66B is intended to very generally suggest any device(such as a coil spring) that is capable of compressing the inside wallsof the holster together in order to slidably and releasably hold thefront end of a suction nozzle (e.g., the front portion 43 of the nozzledepicted in FIG. 2). Again such a holding device may be an actual coilspring or some other device that serves to releasably hold the frontportion A of the nozzle in place, but allow it to be withdrawn from theholster by pulling forces created by a human hand. By way of anotherexample, an inward biasing of the material(s) used to make inside wallsof a holster of this patent disclosure also will serve such a suctiontube holding function.

FIG. 6 also suggests a representative method for attaching the holster36B to a convenient mounting place such as a operating table such as thebar 16 depicted in FIG. 1. The holding device for doing this can, forexample, be in the form of a C-clamp 68B having a top jaw 68B(1) and alower jaw 68B(2). A human hand operable hold down bolt 70B is depictedin the lower jaw 68B(2). Its function is to firmly attach the C-clamp68B to the operating table, e.g., to the operating table bar 16 depictedin FIG. 1, during use, but readily allow movement of the C-clamp 68B toa new location on said bar 16 when desired. The C-clamp 68B also can bemade rotatable in the manner suggested by rotation arrow 72B. Thisrotation can, for example, be achieved through use of a bolt 74B thatholds a rotatable interface 76B between a C-clamp side 78B and a baseplate side 80B of the C-clamp 68B.

FIG. 7 depicts yet another embodiment of this invention wherein aholster 36C is provided with a holster mounting device 76C having alower jaw 76C(1) and an upper jaw 76C(2). In effect, this holding deviceis a so-called “alligator clip” type holding device. Its lower jaw74C(1) is shown as being an extension 78C leading from a wall 79C of theholster 36C. The holster mounting device 74C preferably has a top jawportion 74C(2) that is biased downward by a spring mechanism 80C. Anested array of sacs 84C in the holster 36C is shown provided with aholder 85C for holding down a nested array 84C of sterile sacs. Forexample, this holster 36C is shown holding such a nested array ofsterile sacs e.g., 84C(1) to 84C(N). The outside bottom surface of thenested array 84C can, for example, be provided with a nub 85C(1) thatcan be compression fitted in a nub receiver hole such as that depictedby item 85C(2).

In such a nested array, a first (or innermost) sterile sac 84C(1) isnested in a second sterile sac 84C(2) which, in turn, is nested in athird sterile sac and so on to outermost sac 83C(N). In some of the morepreferred embodiments of this invention the top of each sac is furtherprovided with a sac sealing/unsealing device such as a Ziploc® device,strips of Velcro® and the like. By way of example, the top ends of theindividual sterile sacs, etc. also are respectively shown provided withcooperating sac sealing/unsealing devices 86C(1), 86C(2), etc. Again,such devices could be VELCRO® strips, Ziploc® devices of the typedepicted in FIG. 5 or any other device suitable for attaching a sheet ofsoft plastic to a comparable sheet of soft plastic in order to seal thetop of such a sac. Such a nested array 84C is so adapted and arrangedsuch that each successive inner sterile sac, etc. can be individuallyremoved from the remainder of the nested array. The individual sacs ofthis array are also shown provided with one or more sac holding devicessuch as holes in the sac which engage with a cooperating holding device88C(1), 88C(2) such as a knob or hook located near the top outsidesurface of the holster 36C. Thus the entire nested array 84 can be heldin place in the holster by such holding devices 88C(1), 88C(2), etc.during use.

FIG. 8 depicts another embodiment of this invention wherein a medicalnozzle holster 36D has yet another kind of holding device 90D formounting the holster to an operating room table or other stablestructure. This particular mounting device also is made rotatable (assuggested by direction arrow 92D) by virtue of the fact that a base 94Dof the rotatable holster mounting device is affixed to the holdingdevice 90D by a mounting pin 96D that extends through an appropriatelysized hole in the base 94D of the holster holding device 90D and throughan appropriately sized hole in the mounting device 90D. The mounting pin96D also can be provided with a pin holder 98D to keep the mounting pinsnugly, but hand rotatably, mounted to the base 94D of the holster 36D.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a rotatable holster 36E such as that shown inFIG. 6. It is intended to show how the holster 36E (and a suction tube20 contained therein) can be rotated through an angle alpha (a) byvirtue of a holding device that can rotate with respect to a base. Sucha holster 36E preferably rotates in either direction (see two headeddirection arrow 100). This rotation allows the handle portion D of thesuction tube 20 to be repositioned (from handle position 102D to handleposition 104D and back again) according to the wishes of a user (e.g.,an anesthesiologist).

Although the preceding disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments ofthe present invention, those skilled in this art will appreciate thatother embodiments, not precisely set forth, could be practiced under theteachings of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of thisinvention is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

1. A holster apparatus for a medical suction nozzle, said apparatuscomprising: (1) a holster body having (i) an open upper end capable ofadmitting a forward portion of a medical suction nozzle, and (ii) alower portion capable of holding a substantial part of the medicalsuction nozzle in position; (2) a device for holding a cooperating arrayof individual sterile sacs; and (3) a device for affixing the holsterapparatus to a fixed object.
 2. The holster apparatus of claim 1 whichfurther comprises a cooperating array of individual sterile sacs.
 3. Theholster apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises a sterile sacholding device located on an outside surface of the holster near itsopen upper end.
 4. The holster apparatus of claim 1 further comprising aholding device for a cooperating array of individual sterile sacs woundin a roll of said sacs.
 5. The holster apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a holding device for a cooperating array of individual sacsin a nested array.
 6. The holster apparatus of claim 1 wherein themounting device for affixing the holster apparatus to a fixed objectfurther comprises a device for rotating the holster apparatus withrespect to said fixed object.
 7. A holster apparatus for a medicalsuction nozzle, said apparatus comprising: (1) a holster body having (i)an open upper end capable of admitting a forward portion of a medicalsuction nozzle, (ii) a lower portion capable of holding a substantialpart of the medical suction nozzle, and (iii) an open lower end capableof passing an individual member of a cooperating array of individualsterile sacs; (2) a device for holding the cooperating array ofindividual sterile sacs; and (3) a device for affixing the holsterapparatus to a fixed object.
 8. The holster apparatus of claim 7 whichfurther comprises a cooperating array of individual sterile sacs.
 9. Theholster apparatus of claim 7 which further comprises a sterile sacholding device located on an outside surface of the holster near itsopen upper end.
 10. The holster apparatus of claim 7 which furthercomprises a holding device for a cooperating array of individual sterilesacs wound in a roll of said sacs.
 11. The holster apparatus of claim 7wherein the mounting device for affixing the holster apparatus to afixed object further comprises a device for rotating the holsterapparatus with respect to said fixed object.
 12. The holster apparatusof claim 7 wherein an elongated central portion of the holster body hasan angled configuration.
 13. The holster apparatus of claim 7 wherein alower portion of the holster body has an inside surface that is biasedinwardly so as to contact a front portion of a medical suction nozzleplaced in said lower portion.
 14. The holster apparatus of claim 7wherein the fixed object is an operating room table.
 15. A holsterapparatus for a medical suction nozzle, said apparatus comprising: (1) aholster body having (i) an open upper end capable of admitting a forwardportion of a medical suction nozzle, (ii) an elongated central portioncapable of holding a substantial part of the medical suction nozzle, and(iii) a lower end capable of holding a nested array of sterile sacs; and(2) a mounting device for affixing the holster apparatus to an operatingtable.
 16. The holster apparatus of claim 15 which further comprises asac array holding device located near the bottom of the holster body.17. The holster apparatus of claim 15 which further comprises a devicefor holding a top region of the individual sacs of the nested array ofindividual sterile sacs near the open upper end of the holster body. 18.The holster apparatus of claim 15 wherein the mounting device foraffixing the holster apparatus to an operating table further comprises adevice for rotating the holster apparatus with respect to the operatingtable.
 19. The holster apparatus of claim 15 wherein the elongatedcentral portion has an angled portion.
 20. The holster apparatus ofclaim 15 wherein a lower portion of the holster has inside surfaces thatare biased inwardly so as to contact a forward end of a medical suctionnozzle placed in said lower portion.